Opened together with the Blue House in May last year "Discovering additional K-climbing courses"

Vice Minister Jang Jang-ran takes a commemorative photo with Blue House K-climbers

Vice Minister Jang Jang-ran of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism takes a commemorative photo with participants at the Cheong Wa Dae observatory on Bukhaksan Mountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday.

The vice minister, along with mountaineer Uhm Hong-gil, broadcaster Fabien and 20 other people, including Korean university students and foreign students, toured Bukhansan Mountain, which is included in K-Climbing, 섯다 one of 10 tourist courses in the Blue House area. 

"As an athlete, I used to only go to Bulamsan Mountain in Taereung, so it's nice to know such an attractive place."

Jang Jang-ran, vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, said on Friday while touring the Bukhansan Mountain climbing course, which is included in the "K-Climbing" list of 10 tourist courses in the Blue House area.

The hiking course on the southern side of Bukhansan Mountain, the mountain behind the Blue House, was once a restricted area called the "secret presidential trail," but it was opened to the general public along with the Blue House in May last year.

Jang toured the entire course, which runs from the Chilgung Palace, Baekakjeong, Cheongwadae Observatory, and Cheongwondae.

It's not a long hike (3.3 kilometers one way), but it's a rocky mountain, so there are quite a few steep climbs and stairs.

On the day's trip, Captain Uhm Hong-gil, Korea's leading mountaineer, and Fabien, a French broadcaster living in Seochon, were joined by about 20 people, including local university students and foreign exchange students.

"After listening to Fabien's explanation, I think those who like climbing and are interested will visit this course," said Vice Minister Jang. "Simple labor helps me to organize my thoughts. K-Climbing will be both a tourism product and a healing product."

Broadcaster Fabien said, "When I first saw a good mountain in Korea, I fell in love with it and went to many mountains." "I hope that not only Koreans but also foreigners will feel the charm of Korean mountains by using this course as a good opportunity," he said.

Vice Minister Jang Jang-ran checks out the view from the Blue House observatory

Jang Jang-ran (2nd L), Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, inspects the view from the Blue House observation deck on Bukhaksan Mountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday.

The vice minister, along with mountaineer Uhm Hong-gil, broadcaster Fabien and 20 other people, including Korean university students and foreign students, toured the Bukhaksan mountain climbing course, 온라인섯다 which is included in the "K-Climbing" list of 10 tourist courses in the Blue House area.

The students who climbed the Bukhaksan course together did not lose their smiles even though they were sweating profusely in the hot weather. In between, they looked down at the landscape below and exclaimed in admiration.

"It was nice to see cultural heritage sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Blue House while walking the course," said Honorata, 29, who was on a working holiday from Poland.

"A lot of young people go to Inwangsan nowadays, and I think this course would be more popular if it were more widely publicized," said Jeong Mo, 20.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism plans to introduce more K-climbing courses that can be enjoyed right in the Cheong Wa Dae area next year, varying in terms of duration and theme.

It also plans to discover K-climbing courses that can be combined with sightseeing in major urban centers across the country.

Sightseeing Courses in the Blue House Area

On the morning of the 19th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduced a plan for a 10-themed walking tourist course in the Cheong Wa Dae area, which combines various historical and cultural tourism resources near Cheong Wa Dae, such as the Joseon royal experience, cultural walks, art roads, 고스톱 and K-climbing.